brenda ray

Brenda Ray

Brenda Ray, also known as Brenda Kenny and Polly Rithm, is a UK musician associated with post-punk and roots reggae. She continues a musical career that begins in Latin jazz with Inside Out, and then moves into a series of duo and trio recordings under a range of names.

Early projects and Naffi recordings

She records in the late 1970s and early 1980s as part of a post-punk/dub trio from the United Kingdom with Gerry Kenny, also known as The Lancashire Rats, Sir Freddie Viadukt and The Minister of Noise, and Captain Catchpole, also known as Bomber McBain. Under the name Naffi Sandwich, the trio releases three cassettes on Rum Records between 1979 and 1980, along with a 7-inch single on Absurd Records in 1979. The trio’s releases include Slice One/Slice Two and Freddie and Polly Go Sailing Without the Captain.

In 1980 she records as the duo Naffi, again on Rum Records, with the 7-inch single D’ya Hear Me! and two cassettes, Rum 4 and Rum 6. Related Naffi material also includes Yum Yum Yum Yum Ya on Ark Records.

Brenda and The Beachballs

She later records as Brenda and The Beachballs. This period includes the vinyl LP Naffi-Locksman on Ark Records in 1985, the vinyl LP Brenda and The Beachballs on Probe Plus Records in 1986, and the 12-inch mini-album Volume One. The name Brenda Beachball Kenny also appears on the track Tall Dark Stranger from Bugs On The Wire on Leghorn Records in 1986. Between 1986 and 1989, Brenda and The Beachballs issue three 12-inch releases and three 7-inch singles on Siren/Virgin Records, including Yummy-Ya! / Dancin’ Thru The Night, Catch A Falling Star in several versions, and D’ya Hear Me! / Mandarin Mooch.

Reggae recordings and Walatta

Between 1995 and 2005, Brenda Ray records a series of reggae tracks released on the Tamoki Wambesi Dove label. In 2001 she issues two 7-inch singles: Starlight / Please Be Mine Tonight and Dreamin’ / Another Dream. Her album Walatta appears on em records in 2006, with a Japan release in 2007, followed by a four-track vinyl EP on the same label in 2011 and a 12-track vinyl LP edition in September 2012.

Later release

In February 2014 she releases the 12-inch four-track EP Ramshackle Rumble on Aficionado Recordings. Her work also appears under the name Brenda Beachball Ray.